Jet Lag Guide Part 2

Good Neighbor Insurance has produced this completely free travel guide to help international travelers as they deal with crossing time zones. This is part two of three videos that talk about this travel guide.

“On the Know Thyself” cahpter, which is pages 4 through 8, did you know your own personality and habits can affect how well you adjust to time shifting, and handling the effects of jet lag? Here are some highlights from these specific pages:

“Are some people better at jet lag than others? Can you train yourself to better cope with jet lag? – There is scientific evidence that indicates that certain personality types, and people that regularly exercise, cope with jet lag better than others who do not. Those with more sensing and judging personality preferences (if you know the keirsey-bates or myers-briggs personality tests) tend to struggle more with change/jet-lag, and tend to like rituals including: Schedules, regularity, and habit. These, obviously, are the enemy of frequent travelers across time zones. Those who are more relaxed, spontaneous, like ‘surprises,’ and variety in their day tend to cope better with changes to their natural rhythms, as do those who may not maintain a strict bedtime routine (or schedule) even at home. If this describes you, you will naturally have an easier time coping with the results of jet lag: Tiredness, lack of sleep, lack of memory, grouchiness, etc.”

“Are you an extrovert? Extroverted types, who love to meet new people, mix among various social groups, and travel in a pack, tend to cope better with jet lag than people who reach a destination and retreat to their rooms with a book or remote control. This is because the more you expose yourself to external stimuli in your new environment, the faster the necessary chemical changes will take place in your brain to help you adapt to your new surroundings. And stimuli, like exposure to light/the sun, temperature, food/hunger, and yes, even social cues, is one of the keys to circadian rhythm. Unfortunately, these same people are likely to meet friends upon arrival, go down to the hotel bar, or go out rather than taking that first night to re-adjust, which is a no-no. You should try to get a regular night’s sleep that first night regardless of what time it is at ‘home.'”

“In fact, sleep inertia can last 2-4 hours after waking. Consider this if for you naps “don’t work” – You will need longer periods of Stage three or Stage four sleep, getting your deepest levels of restfulness right before waking. Consider whether you do well sleeping with noise distractions, or in a non-horizonal posture, or are a larger person who cannot as easily stretch out your limbs/muscles in economy class on the plane. Knowing this means you are going to want to pay close attention to flight times, always give yourself an extra day so you can sleep upon arrival (during the evening, not the middle of the day!), and plan on using more timeshiftimg strategies, compared to a coworker or spouse who can sleep easily, with noise interference, sleep upright in a seat, or for relatively short bits of time. Those who can catnap obviously have a clear advantage in quickly adapting to drastic changes in time.”

Download the free guide for more information or see the other video sessions below: